Classic Wodehouse Illustrations, Part 5: The Delayed Exit of Clause and Eustace

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's going to be hard to follow up Henry Raleigh's Right Ho, Jeeves illustrations! In the meantime, here's something a little more low-key, but also highly entertaining: "The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace", illustrated by our friends A. W. Mills and T. D. Skidmore. 



Let's start with some Mills:



Look, it's the old Etonian spats! I'm sorry, Bertie, but I'm going to have to side with grumpy Jeeves on this one. You look like you have a couple of wasps strapped to your feet. You're looking pretty sharp otherwise, though!

Meanwhile, Skidmore decides to kick things off by introducing Claude and Eustace (and poor long-suffering Marion):


(The "one Britisher who sees the humor in his own countrymen", eh? I think Ronald Frankau might have something to say about that.)

I'm always fascinated by which particular scenes these guys choose to illustrate. When the same story is illustrated by two different people, there's generally at least a little overlap, but I don't think there's a single scene in common in this case.

Dang, there are a lot of pictures of Bertie in bed in these stories:



Bertie is ridiculously adorable in this drawing. Claude and Eustace aren't bad either. *waggles eyebrows*

Claude and Eustace get themselves expelled:



Opportunity of a lifetime indeed! Meanwhile, back in The Strand, Marion complains to Bertie about his creepy cousins:



And that's all from Mills. Let's have our first look at Aunt Agatha:



I think I've finally realized what bothers me most about Skidmore's Bertie. It's not his age or even his mustache. It's the fact that he always looks so dour and world-weary. I mean, he has reason to here, of course. But he always looks that way. Mills's Bertie radiates a sweet, wide-eyed energy; Raleigh's Bertie exudes a kind of lanky, insouciant elegance; even Leete's goony-looking Bertie has a certain goofy spunk about him. But Skidmore's Bertie just looks depressed all the time.

Party time with Claude and Eustace:



Hey, look, it's Uncle George!



Is this the same Uncle George who married the barmaid?
Other entries:
"Comrade Bingo"
"Bertie Changes His Mind"
"Leave It to Jeeves"
Right Ho, Jeeves
"Aunt Agatha Takes the Count"
"Jeeves in the Springtime"

Comments

[ladymoondancer.livejournal.com]

YAY, more illustrations!!

I agree with you on Skidmore's Bertie, he looks like a depressed basset hound or something.

I also think a lot of Skidmore's drawings fail to capture the craziness of the stories. Like the twins and Marion in the third picture from the top. There's nothing wrong with it, exactly, but you don't really get a sense of the utter inappropriateness of the Wooster twins and the desperation of Marion in having to deal with these two bimbos. His style just seems so, I don't know, literal? Like he has to illustrate something really obviously wacky (like Claude & Eustace getting expelled--which I do love) to make it funny, instead of using body language or stylistic choices to make an illustration funny.

The Mills' picture of Claude and Eustace glaring at each other over Bertie's bedrailing is a perfect example of making exaggeration and just the sheer inappropriateness of a situation work. I am liking Mills' Bertie more and more. :D

On a sidenote, is "Britisher" even a word? I thought it was "Briton"? Wow, and Wodehouse is the only one? Poor Noel Coward . . .

Also, those spats, dear God. DEAR GOD, BERTIE. YOU HAVE SUCH TERRIBLE TASTE.

I am rapidly becoming fascinated by how these various artists draw the Wooster feet. Raleigh gave him positively petite, girly trotters.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

you pretty much summed up my feelings on these illustrations.
plus YAY RAINBOW DASH!

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

I think you've put your finger on it exactly! Skidmore's work is technically flawless, but it just doesn't have the right personality.

Whereas Mills' work has just the right tone -- I can even forgive his old crochety Jeeves, because the personality is just so right.

I'm pretty sure I've heard "Britisher" before, but it does sound weird. It sounds like some kind of comparative. ("I'm Britisher than you!")

And yeah, those spats are truly marvelous, especially on those gigantic feet. (And I noticed Raleigh!Bertie's dainty little feet as well XD)

[ladymoondancer.livejournal.com]

Jeeves frozen glare at the spats just says it all. I think Bertie must have subconsciously realized they were destined for "destruction" even at that early stage.

I'm pretty sure I've heard "Britisher" before, but it does sound weird. It sounds like some kind of comparative. ("I'm Britisher than you!")

This seems topical enough to post in reply:



Nothing improves a thing like making it a bit Britisher! :D